Foot-ball.



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G. L. PIERCE.

FQOT BALL.

APPuc/Tlon FILED Aua.6. 191s.

Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

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j- TD STATES PAE T FFIQ.

GEORGE L. PIERCE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO A. G. SPALDING 8cBROS.,

0F JERSEY CITY., NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

FOOT-BALL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

Application led August 6, 1,918. Serial N o. 248,604.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. PIERCE, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Brooklyn, New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Foot-Balls, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a seam construction for foot balls and consistsin the features hereinafter described and particularly pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings;

Figure l is an inside view of a portion of two panels joined togetherand showing how the panels are grooved near the edge to receive thestitching.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the seam.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the grooved panels on the line 33 of Fig. 2 with the stitches omitted.

In these drawings portions of two panels are shown at A, B. Each ofthese is grooved as at a, Z1 near the edge of the inner face. Thesegrooved margins, as shown in Fig. 2, are inturned withthe outer finishedfaces in contact and they are united by stitching lying in the groovesof the inner faces to form the seam. By this construction the outside ofthe seam at C is made flatter than heretofore has been the case wherethe stitches have not been embedded in the grooves but passed throughthe ungrooved margins. Furthermore with my improved construction theliability of the leather to crack at the bend c is avoided, particularlyin high-grade foot balls made up of thick leather. 'Ihe grooving ineffect provides what may be termed a hinge construction at the seamallowing the leather to bend more freelyT at the point where the groovesare formed, and thus the bend of the leather may be made on an arc ofshorter radius than if the stitches passed through ungrooved margins ofthe panels and it follows therefore that a flatter seam can be made withmy improvement than heretofore has been possible.

Another advantage of the grooving is that it will act as an additionalguide to the workman in sewing the marginal portions of the panelstogether.

The depth of the groove can be made to follow slight irregularities inthe thickness of the edge portion of the leather, and thus the workmanwho does the sewing has only to follow the groove to get the bestresults.

For instance the edge of the leather for the best effect in forming aseam should be of equal thickness throughout especially along the lineof the seam and should be cut perpendicular to the face of the panel,but it sometimes happens that there are thin portions of the leathernear the edge and the' edge portion may be slightly beveled, and thuswhen held up against the gage the stitching will pass through thickparts of the leather at some points and through thin portions at otherpoints and a seam will be produced of unequal strength at differentpoints along the same, but with the use of the groove this can be cut tovarying depths from the exposed or inner faces of the panels, accordingto the varying thickness of the leather, so that the thickness of theleather at the bottom of the groove or between said groove bottom andthe opposite face of the leather will be of equal thickness throughoutand thus the seam will be of equal strength throughout and stresses willbe more uniformly distributed to and borne by the different parts of theseam than with a groove of equal depth at all points of varyingthicknesses of leather. Fig. 3 illustrates the feature just mentioned.

The grooves also virtually form a guide for the needle.

I am aware that it is not new to sink stitches in a previously formedgroove in the manufacture'of articles, such as shoes but the grooving ofthe exposed faces of two pieces which are placed face to face andstitched together through the grooves to form an inturned seam presentsadvantages in the art of foot ball construction that distinguish thisinvention from the prior art.

Y By the terms exposed face as used herein I mean that face of the panelwhich is not in contact with the face 0f the adjoining face and havinggrooves in their exposed uniform throughout the length of the seam facesnear the edge, said grooves being of and stitches passing through theuniform unequal depth measured from the inner eX- thicknesses andlocated in the grooves, sub- 10 posed faces of the panels and leaving astantially as described.

5 thickness of leather between the bottom of In testimony Whereof,1aifixniy signature.

the groove and the contacting faces of the inturned marginal portionssubstantially GEORGE L. PIERCE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

